Modern Healthcare named Dr. Ghazala Sharieff of Scripps Health to its 'Leading Women 2026' list, according to a March 9 announcement from Scripps Health. Sharieff is Scripps’ corporate executive vice president and chief medical and operations officer for acute care.

Scripps said the annual recognition honors women leaders from across the healthcare industry. In its announcement, the health system said senior editors selected Sharieff from nominees representing hospitals, health systems, insurers, associations, government agencies, investment firms, suppliers, digital health startups, and patients’ rights groups.

According to Scripps, Modern Healthcare’s senior editors selected honorees based on their contributions to organizational financial, operational, and clinical goals, as well as their efforts to mentor and sponsor women and to advance gender equality in healthcare.  

The recognition places a spotlight on one of San Diego’s most senior physician executives. Scripps identifies Sharieff as a top acute-care leader in the system, and the award recognizes her as both a corporate leader and role model.  

Scripps also linked the honor to performance inside the organization. In its release, the health system noted that Sharieff’s leadership improved patient satisfaction and reduced falls, pressure ulcers, blood clots, pneumonia, readmissions, and hospital-acquired infections. Syndicated coverage of the announcement also carried those claims.

The Modern Healthcare recognition follows another recent national mention for Sharieff. In a separate March 2026 item, Scripps said Becker’s Hospital Review again included her on its 2026 list of chief medical officers to know.  

For San Diego physicians, the news is a reminder that clinical leadership increasingly extends beyond the bedside into the operational and quality decisions that shape how large health systems function every day.